The three stripes on their sleeves marked them as Level 3 apprentices. William barely glanced at them. He didn't know where these guys had come from, but honestly, he couldn't care less. His eyes were drawn to the girls clinging to them… his girls.
Jealousy flared up in his chest like dry grass catching fire. He hadn't seen them all year, but he had asked around and knew they were training hard to pass the second selection. That's why he never bothered them.
But the girls had been avoiding him on purpose—ever since they found out their virginity was worth twenty spiritual stones at the Academy. It was a long-standing tradition, a way for female apprentice mages to earn their first real resources. And when they realized they had missed that opportunity by being with William and the others… bitterness took root.
Maren, Cedric's former partner, leaned in and whispered something to one of the nobles. His expression darkened, and he stepped forward until he was right in William's face.
